liberman



Mrlh 7, 1933' A. i. LIBERMAN 1,900,825,

PHOTOGRAPHI C DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. l0, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l 4 2 J ,5 1 /I I iv l yp 721 fifi f 5gf 5 Q 4 la I 5.9. l? O o f 2 40/ o o i 9/ 1f 2a 6' 'd/ J1( A W4 I .Z7 0?/ r/m March 7, 1933. A L|BERMAN 1,900,825

PHOTOGRAPHIC DVELOPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 10, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .'5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 7, 1933. A, l. I IBERMAN `ll'oTocRAPlIl:C DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. lov, 1 930 ai I. l; ilermn/ Patented Mar. 7, 1933 ALEXANDER IEZEKIL LIBERHAN, OF PARIS, FRANCE PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPNG APPARATUS Application med January 10, 1930,Serial No. 419,888, and in Germany April 25, 1929.

The invention relates to an apparatus and a tank for the automatic development and treatment of photographs, positive or negative.

5 Apparatus in which the positive or negative photographs, taken on a sensitized film of paper rolled on a spool pass automatically after exposure, in the several developing, fixing and washin baths etcQcome out of thesaid tanks when they are in position in the apparatus and means for actuating, from the outside of the apparatus, the mechanism for displacing the photographs, said mechanisms are placed separately in each of the tanks.

Each tank is in two parts, the upper part which carries all the mechanism for displacing the photoghaphs, and the lower part which may be raised and lowered, a lining of rubber or similar material carried by the one or the other of the two parts forming a water tight joint when the two parts are pressed one H, against the other. i J The mechanism, which is in the tank, carried by the upper part, includes a shaft projecting outside the tank, with water-tight packing where it passes out of the tank, said shaft which enables the mechanism to be actuated from ther outside, carrying av member or being shaped so as to enable it to be connected to a main mechanism when the tank is in position in a main support and to be fed by said mechanism.

The two parts of the'tank are held normally separated the one from the other by the action of springs, the lower part being pressed against the upper part, against the action of 3 said springs, by means of a special device.

Said device may be composed of a screw, an

eccentric system or the like raising the lower I part and pressing it against the upper part.

`-Each tank is provided with guides which gui the photographs as they come in or as the go out. A

n order to cause the photographs to circulate in the tank or to cause them to pass from the latter to another tank, themechanism inside the latter, is composed of two endless bands pressing on the'edges of the photographs and against which bear a series of rollers, the bandscarryin with them in their movement, the photograp s which are caught between the bands and the rollers.

In the intervals included between the rollers which press the photographs a ainst the endless bands, the guides hold t e photographs against the bands and ensure their passage with said bands against the rollers that follow.

Said apparatus may be furthermore characterized by the fact that it is integral with a photographic camera or that a photographic camera may be fixed in a demountable manner thereto, so that as soon as a picture is The mechanism of the apparatus is adjusted in such a manner that it is possible at all times to know the position of the photograph circulating in the apparatus according to the extant to whichl the mechanism has been actuate In order to follow the work, the apparatus may vcomprise opposite eachtanka window with a red glass.

According to another embodiment, the apparatus comprises opposite each tank a tube provided with a lens, enabling the insidev of the tank to be viewed on pressing on the tube, which opens a cover closing saidxtube'and closes an electric circuit passing through a lamp situated inside the tank and which lights upthe latter, said lamp being extinguished and the cover closing automatically when the pressure on the tube `is released.

taken, the film passes into the developing ap- 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2a is an end view of a detail of the ap aratus.

ig. 3 is a general view in perspective of the apparatus viewed from the front.

Fig. 4 is a partial view of the latter.

Fig. 5 is a partly longitudinal section. partly outside view of a modification.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view along the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

The apparatus according to the invention has the shape of a box 1 in which may be placed a certain number of tanks, said tanks are in two parts the lower part 2 and the upper part 2. The upper part 2 exhibits extensions 3 and 4 of dovetailed shape or otherwise which are introduced by sliding in the upper part 5 of the apparatus 1, which upper part exhibits corresponding recesses.

The apparatus is adapted to receive as many tanks as are necessary for carrying out the various operations to which the photographs must be subjected after they have been exposed in front of a photographic lens.

The upper` part 2 carries on its inside two plates 6 and 7 extending downwards into the part 2. Between said plates 6 and 7 is mounted the mechanism for developing the photograph in the tank.

Said mechanism lessentially comprises two parallel endless bands 8 and 8', said bands are stretched and are displaceable .on a series ofgroove rollers 10, 11, 12 and 13. Rollers 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 bear against said band 8. The assembly is arranged so that said rollers press firmly against the endless bands 8 and 8. The grooved rollers 10, 11, 12 and 13 are mounted on common axes with the rollers 10', 11', 12 and 13 of the other band 8 so that the two bands move always parallel the one to the other and at the same speed. One of the axes 13 for example, is extended outwardly by a shaft 20 which is surrounded by a water tight packing 20; it terminates in a square which might penetrate into a square of the same dimension provided in a wheel 21 carried by the apparatus 1, said shaft 20 may carry, instead of the square, a serrated wheel 22 engaging with a similar wheel 23 carried by the apparatus 1. The wheel 21 or the wheel 23 are secured to a shaft 34 on which is mounted a worm wheel 35, which meshes with a worm 36 carried by a shaft 37 extending over` the whole length of the apparatus 1 actuated from the outside by means of a device of any kind.

-By means of said device the rotation of the shaft 37 causes when the tank is in osition, the rotation of the shaft 13" which) sets in motion the endless bands 8 and 8. The photograph coming from the adjacent tank, as shown by the arrow on Fig. 1, penetrates into the two tank portions 2 and 2 and is gripped between the bands 8 and 8 and the rollers 14 and 14 they circulate in the tank with the endless band in the direction shown by the arrows. In the space included between the various rollers 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are placed guides 38, 39, 40 and 41 which compel the photograph to follow the endless band and to penetrate between said band and one of the rollers 14, 15 etc., bearing against said band. Instead of fixed guides, a series of small guide-rollers might be provided. The photograph then comes out of the tank, as shown by the arrow, the guides 24 and 25 at this moment grip the photogra h in order to compel it to come out of the tan in a straight line and to penetrate, in the requisite direction, into the following tank. When the photograph is in one of the tanks, it is possible to stop the mechanism in order that the photograph may remain in said tank for the required time while the photograph is in the bath. The two parts of the .tank are held normally apart the one from the other by means of springs. For example, there may be provided a fiexible fiat spring 26 fixed to plates 6 and 7 and bearing on .the bottom of the portion 2 of the tank which vthen bears on the bottom 27 of the box 1; or again the spring 26 may be replaced by small spiral springs 28 fixed on the one hand, to the tank 2 and on the other hand, to the bottom 27.

When it is desired to transport the apparatus, the tanks are closed and their lower portion 2 is raised in order to press them against their upper portion 2'; the portion 2 carries for thispurpose a flexible lining 29 around all its upper outline, said lining is pressed against the portion 2 forming a tight joint. The portion 2 is raised and held pressed against 2 by means of a milled knob internally tapped and in which there is a' screw 31 carrying a plate 32. The milled knob 30 rotates freelyin the bottom of the box 1, the plate 32 carries a pin 33 passing through said bottom and preventing it from rotating. By rotating the knob 3() in the requisite direction, the screw 31 integral with the plate 32 is held against rotation with the latter, is unscrewed from the knob and presses the plate 32 against the tank 2 then raises the said tank to press it against the top 2'. Instead of the above screwed device, an eccentric device might be used operated by a lever in known manner.

By operating in a similar manner with all the tanks of the apparatus, the latter may be transported in any manner without loss of liquid or deterioration and without it bein necessary to empty the tanks.

In addition to the advantage given by the independent tanks whichcan be removed separately and very easily from the apparatus for cleaning, etc., and which are interchangeable, this arrangement has moreover the following advantage: the endless bands serving as conveyors circulate solelyin one bath whereas inthe similar known devices the photographs were drawn along between endless bands passing successively with the photographs in the several baths. Consefrom each of the baths, said liquid rendered impure the following bath or wasspilt in the apparatus itself. g

The apparatus which is shown on Fig. may form an integral part of aphotographic camera proper or, as shown in dotted line in Fig. 5, the photographic camera 2a may be fixed on said apparatus so.that the film on which the photographs have been exposed, 5 pass directly into the apparatus. For this purpose said apparatus comprises two lugs 3a spaced apart by the requisite amount for receiving the photographic camera 2a and in said lugs are screwed wing-headed screws 4a which secure the camera 2a. .It is of course understood that the developing apparatus may be constructed in various sizes so that it may be adapted to various types of Aknown photographic cameras existing on the market. In order tonenable the exposed film in the photographic camera 2a to pass into the `developing apparatus, instead of winding the photographic film on a spool inside the camera 2a in the usual manner, the end of said film is passed through a slit 2a', provided for this purpose in the camera 2a and the edges of which are bordered with black velvet in the usual manner to prevent the action .Y of Vthel light. Thence the en d of the film passes into the developing apparatus through a sim-V ilar slit and it is caught between the rollers 5a from where it descends into the guides 6d and 7a to be then caught between the rollers 8a which .direct it towards the first of the tanks 1a.

In said tanks 1a the film is drawn along by the Vspecial devices provided for this purpose, which are driven by the several pinions 9a provided in the upper part of'said tanks. Said several pinions are driven by a handle 10a on the shaft of which is mounted a pinion 11a which drives a toothed wheel 12a which transmits the movement, in any known manner, to the severalpinions 9a. The movement ofthe handle also drives the two rollers 8a; the toothed wheel 12a being mounted for example on the axis of the upper roller 8a.

The rollers 5a may also be driven by the C3 movement of the handle. said movements can 0 quently, said bands necessarily carried liquid knife 15a carried by a rod 16a having at its.

outer end a knob 17a. By pulling the knob 17 a to bring it into the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 6 the knife is displaced along the whole width of the film so as to sever the latter. The device operates in the fol-.

lowing manner After having placed a film in the photographic camera 2a and having engaged the outer end of the former, as indicated above, between the rollers 5a, said rollers are brought into action by pressing on the knob 14a and the handle 10a is rotated until the film has been brought intothe requisite position for exposure by the photographic camera.

After having taken a photograph, the knob 14a being always in the operative position, the handle 10a is rotated -so as to bring the following portion of the film into the position suitable for receiving another exposure, the rollers 5a lare then made' inoperatiife by pulling the knob 14a; the film is severed by pulling the knob 17a then by actuating the handle 10a all the pinions 9a are set in n10- tion and the film is made to pass in the various baths leaving it a sufficient time in each ions have a ratio such that to a given number of turns of the handle corresponds a predetermined distance, for example by giving four turns of the handle, it will be known that the photograph may be passed from one bath to the following, the photograph taking up in the following bath the requisite position for being subjected therein to the corresponding treatment. It will be observed moreover that in order to obtain this result, the several tanks are similar to each other, so that the distant-il tra, veiled, in each of them, from a to Z) is the same as for travelling from c to (I, from e to f, etc.

After the photograph has' remained suceessively in all the tanks for a sufficient time, l

photographic camular, in the case of an apparatus on which can be mounted a photographic camera of a usual type, it is possible to take photographs with said camera without carrying the developing apparatus therewith and then to develop the exposed film in the developing apparatus as has been described above.

I clailn:

1. In a device for developing photographs, the combination of a plura ity of developing tanks, each tank being formed in two portions. separate film guiding means for each tank adapted to feed the film to be developed into and out of the associated tank between the two separate portions thereof, means for mounting said film guiding means on one of the portions of each tank, means for normally holding the two portions of each tank a certain distance apart to allow the film to enter and leave the tank, and means for mov ing one portion of each tank relatively to the other so that the tank may be hermetically closed down when not in operation.

2. In a device for developing photographs, the combination of a plura ity of developing tanks, each tank being formed in two portions, separate film guiding means for each tankadapted to feed the film to be developed into and out of the associated tank between the two separate portions thereof, means for mounting said film guiding means on one of the portions of each tank, means for normally holding the two portions of each tank a certain distance apart to allow the film to enter and leave the tank, means for moving one portion of each tank relatively to the other so that the tank may be hermetically closed down when not in operation, and means for driving all said fi 1n guiding means from outside said tanks.

3. In a device for developing photographs, the combination of a plurality of developing tanks, each tank being formed in two portions, separate film guiding means mounted in each tank and adapted to feed the film to be developed into and out of each tank between the two separate portions thereof, plates secured to one of the portions of each tank and adapted to support said film guiding means, means for normally holding the two portions of each tank a certain distance apart to allow the film to enter and leave the tank, and means for moving one portion of each tank relatively to the other so that the tank may be hermetically closed down when not in operation.

4. In a device for developing photographs, the combination of a plurality of developing tanks, each tank being` formed in two portions, separate film guiding means for each tank adapted to feed the film to be developed into and out of the associated tank between the two separate portions thereof, means for mounting said film guiding means on one of the portions of each tank, means for normally holdin the two portions of each tank a certain istance apart to allow the film to enter and leave the tank, means for moving one portion of each tank relatively to the other so that the tank may be hermetically closed down when not in operation, a shaft running outside said tanks over the length thereof, and means including clutch mechanisms for driving each of said film guiding means separately from said shaft.

5. A device for developing photographs according to claim 4, in which the means for moving one portion of each tank relatively to the other consist of a screw, a plate secured to said screw and adapted to bear against one of the parts of each tank, and means for causing said screw to advance whereby said plate displaces the corresponding portion of the tank.

In a device for developing photographs, the combination of a plurality of developing tanks each comprising two movable portions, plates mounted on one portion of each tank, endless bands, rollers over which said endless bands pass, spindles carried by Said plates and on which said rollers are mounted, guide-ways situated between the rollers to guide the film between said rollers, additional guide-ways for guiding the film into and out of each tank between the two portions thereof, and means for bringing the two portions of each tank together when the apparatus is not in use whereby each tank may be hermetieally closed down.

7. In a device for developing photographs, the combination of a plurality of developing tanks, each tank being formed in two portions, separate film guiding means for each tank adapted to feed the film to be developed into and out of the corresponding tank between the two separate portions thereof, means for mounting said film guiding means in one of the portions of each tank, spring means acting on one of the tank portions for holding it away from the other tank portion, a screw member, means for preventing said screw member from rotating, means for advancing or reti-acting said screw member, and a plate member carried by said screw and adapted to be brought into contacting relation with one of said tank portions to move said tank portion into contact with the other tank portion.

ALEXANDER IEZEKIL LIBERMAN. 

